Wrath of Heaven
by Wrath-of-Heaven
Summary: In a valley, there exist the ruins of an old temple. These ruins are in fact the secret entrance to the Village of the Hidden Light – Hikarigakure. Why secret? Because the world has forgotten it's very existance.
1. Prologue Memories of Light

_Shinobi._

_Every nation in this world is dependant on them and the villages they represent. From baby-sitting pet-rocks to assassinating figures as powerful as emperors._

_Konohagakure, Hidden Leaf Village of the Land of Fire; Sunagakure, Hidden Sand Village of the Land of Wind; Iwagakure, Hidden Stone Village of Earth; Kumogakure, Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning; and Kirigakure, Hidden Mist Village of the Land of Water. These are the Five Great Shinobi nations – the largest shinobi villages._

_Amongst them are smaller villages as well: Hidden Grass Village, Hidden Falls Village, Hidden Rain Village, Hidden Snow Village, and Hidden Sound Village… to name a few._

_Long ago – though not too long – many more of these shinobi villages existed. But, during the last Shinobi World War – the largest full scale war in history – many of these villages were destroyed. Some villages recovered, but others took advantage of their weakened state, and were wiped out. Others however…_

_Simply disappeared._

_There is a rumor that no one cares to listen to, that not far from the border of Cloud and just a few miles inland, there's a small town, and in the valley a few miles away, one of these villages existed. If you were to ask anyone from this small town about the 'village that used to be there,' they'll just shake their heads at you and sigh, "What do you mean? Stupid, brainless foreigners – know nothing."_

_In a valley, surrounded by high mountains and canyons, there exist the ruins of an old temple named "Raito temple." With on glance, you might simply brush it off. However, if you were to venture into these ruins, you would find something much more interesting, because these ruins are in fact the entrance to the Village of the Hidden Light – Hikarigakure._

_According to National Historical Archives, Hikarigakure was destroyed during the Third World War. This is clearly not the case._

_We exist in secret. No one knows of us – save for a select few from the small town just a few miles away. When our enemies and the world thought we were wiped off the face of the earth, we chose to keep it that way until we had the chance to strike back. But then…_

_The war ended._

_We no longer had a reason to hide, but we chose to anyway, because the world had forgotten our existence. We chose to hide, to remain in secret. My father, and our honored Yondaime Keikage, told my brother and me, that we hid because we were cowards. We were the world's greatest fools, simply because in choosing to remain 'dead,' we granted Keimaru – my older brother – the means to make his ambitions come true._

_You see, my brother loved war. When he was named Godaime Keikage, he was given power over our village. _

The silence of the night was broken as two figures broke from the mountainous ruins of Raito Temple.

One was young woman of nineteen years of age. She was dressed in an elegant and regal kimono made of pale pink flowing silk. Her hair was held back in a gold and intricate headdress. Her eyes were nearly white and the pupil was nearly the same shade of pale blue. Her opponent was a man not much older than herself. His kimono was not quite as noble. It was a simple men's kimono with black hakama and a red haori with black trim. His hair was dark and its length reached the base of his neck. His eyes were nearly the same colour as hers, but still slightly darker.

They jumped into the air, rapidly falling towards the lake that surrounded the ruins. Pushing chakra into their feet, they stood gracefully on the water, each hastily forming seals. Their hands were a blur until they each came to a stop.

"Ninpou Fujin! Kaze Rasenjo no jutsu!"

"Ninpou Kage-Fujin! Kuro-oarashi no jutsu!"

A wild wind began to whirl around the young woman as a black aura and wind surrounded the young man.

The attacks collided and a massive wave of wind shook the trees in the clearing, waves formed in a rapid commotion of the mini-storm created in the attacks wake. The two combatants didn't wait for the area to settle before they rushed at each other.

As the man rushed towards the young woman, forming more seals as he did.

_Horse, tiger, dog, bird, tiger, dog. _

A broad sword in the shape of a machete suddenly appeared. The young man grabbed its hilt and thrust it out in front of him – posed to strike the woman. He swung it over his head, the blade singing as it came down upon the young woman. She grit her teeth angrily and pulled a kunai out at the last second, holding it above her head just as the blade came down. Sparks flew around them as the two weapons collided.

The man hissed angrily, "Give it up."

The woman's mouth set into a firm line, "You!" In one swift movement she swung her leg vertical to her body and high into the air – just barely tapping the man's chin as he did a back-flip, sliding along the surface of the water until he came to a stop. Water that had flown up in the wake of the young woman's kick fell back down again with a splash. With a cry, she ran forward, kunai in hand and swung it at the man, just clipping the edge of his bangs. She clipped the hem of his kimono next when she thrust her kunai to jab his in the neck, but he ducked to the side before she could reach his jugular.

"You bring disgrace to this village, Keimaru; to the name Keikage!" She yelled out, advancing every time the man dodged, "Our father weeps!"

"How could I possibly bring anymore shame to this village, Hikariko?" Keimaru sneered, swinging his sword again, getting nothing but air as Hikariko dodged and flew back, "We are the Hidden Light! Why do we hide in shadows? I can bring us back!"

"Be Quiet! You fool! You dishonor me! You dishonor our Father! Our village!" Hikariko shouted at him, flinging the kunai at him with a simple swish of air. Keimaru raised his sword and knocked the kunai out of the air. He rushed forward, sword ready to strike once again, his feet padding on the water's surface.

Hikariko broke her stance and flipped up into the air just as Keimaru came down upon her. Sliding the surface of the water, she pulled out numerous kunai and flung them at him. Easily dodging them, Keimaru smirked, "Truly sister, you wound me."

Suddenly his was in front of Hikariko, and with a swift kick to the chest she was flying in the opposite direction. She managed to catch herself before she sunk completely into the water. She knelt there and began to cough, unable to stand up for the moment. Keimaru took this as his chance.

He smirked, "Forgive me O-nee-chan."

_Tiger, dog, bird, dog, tiger._

"Ninpou Fujin! Midori Ho no Ya!"

Clenching his hand at his side and a spark of flame surrounded it, quickly becoming a larger ball of green fire. Bringing it up from his side, he threw a stream of green fire in a rapid burst at Hikariko.

Hikariko's pale blue eyes widened as she felt the heat of the fire drawing closer. She wouldn't be able to move soon enough.

"Hikariko-sama!!" cried a young female voice.

A young figure suddenly appeared in front of Hikariko, clutching a Naginata tightly within her grasp. With a cry she raised it above her head and brought it down just as the projectile of fire reached them. With swift speed, she brought down the blade of the spear and swiped the ball of fire out of the air.

Keimaru glared at the new arrival as she stood up, holding her naginata in front of Hikariko protectively. He cursed under his breath, "Damn."

This person had long dark green hair pulled up into two rings on top of her head while the rest was braided halfway down her back. Her bangs were wild and pushed off the sides, revealing her hitai-ate. She wore a black kimono – the right sleeve slipped off and hanging down at her side – covering her magenta obi. Her chest was bound with wrappings and her entire right and left arms were covered as well.

"Yuukan-san!" Hikariko gasped, "What are you-"

"Saving your scrawny ass, as usual," The young woman – Yuukan - gave the surprised girl a wink.

"So… you're alright?"

"Of course," Yuukan turned back to Keimaru, "I'm not going to let you have all the fun."

Keimaru smirked, "Isn't that cute. Why don't you run along, princess? This doesn't concern you."

"Like hell it doesn't!" Yuukan snapped.

Suddenly, Keimaru advanced. Yuukan strengthened her stance and held her ground while Keimaru rushed forward towards them. Yuukan smirked, licking her lips, "That's cute."

Sending a burst of chakra into her feet, Yuukan broke into a run, her Naginata trailing in the water - creating a kind of fissure in the water as she ran.

"Yuukan-san!"

The two shinobi met and their blades sung as they clashed against the other. Yuukan jumped back, widening her stance then jabbing at Keimaru with a swift pace – whom in turn dodged every blow with perfect timing. He scowled however when the Naginata just shaved his cheek and cut several stray strands of his hair, which fell languidly to the surface of the water before sinking beneath. Keimaru could feel how the thin trail of blood slid down his face and under his chin. With a low growl deep in the back of her throat, Yuukan pulled back the skirt of her kimono, reaching for the leather pouch on her leg and pulled out several shuriken, flinging them at Keimaru.

Keimaru's eyebrows furrowed together as the shuriken flew closer. But before they could impale him, he jumped backwards, retreating severalmeters.

Yuukan smirked, '_Just a little further!_'

Hikariko's eyes widened, "So, that's what-!"

A whirring sound off to his right caught Keimaru's attention. Whipping his head towards the sound, he barely saw let alone had the chance to dodge the giant four-star shuriken flying towards him. With a yell of surprise, he tried to jump back, but it was too late as the blades ripped across his chest as it flew past him.

"_Kouryou!_" Hikariko exclaimed.

"Damnit!" Keimaru cursed as he felt blood spill from the wound and seep through his haori. He clutched at the wound all the while glaring angrily at the two kunoichi in front of him, but had to turn his attention back to the shuriken careening towards him once again. This time, he jumped back in time.

He followed the path of shuriken until it was caught in an outstretched hand of one of two figures standing on the edge of the ruin's entrance.

"Is it…" Hikariko started.

"Shiori-sensei, Naoru-san!" Yuukan yelled out.

The older woman clearly deserved the title of Sensei. She held a majestic grace about her and everything about her seemed to demand authority. She had long white blonde hair that gradually faded a brilliant blonde and then to a bright red and then finally blood crimson at the tips. Her eyes were a vivid emerald green. She wore a cropped long sleeved shirt and hip-hugging jeans that flared out slightly under the knee before bunching up near the ankles. A gray vest hung limply on her shoulders.

The younger woman, Naoru, was the one who had thrown the shuriken. She had bluish hair, tied back in a white ribbon while her bangs framed her face and touched her shoulders. Her eyes were a soft yet stern icy blue – almost white. Her shirt was cropped and tied just beneath her chest. The sleeves were cut in the middle to expose her elbows. Beneath she wore a plain mesh shirt. A pair of Capri hung limply on her waist, held up by a thick belt. Her hitai-ate lay neatly across her forehead.

Keimaru glowered at the new arrivals, "So, O-nee-chan, you bring your team into this? Do you honestly believe that they can help you!?"

Hikariko turned towards her infuriated brother's voice, her eyebrows knitted together in sadness.

Yuukan turned her gaze to Hikariko and then Keimaru as Naoru and Shiori joined them on the water. Naoru off to Keimaru's right and Shiori off to his left. Now Keimaru's back was to the rocky wall with no escape. Naoru quickly exchanged a look with Yuukan and then turned to Keimaru, while their sensei remained silent.

"Don't you know who I am? I am the _Keikage!_"

"_Chi,_" Naoru scoffed, "You? You would become a dictator to your people? Make them suffer? You're no Keikage."

"What was that?"

"A true Keikage wouldn't practically enslave his own people!" Naoru replied, "You are not a true Keikage, Keimaru."

"This is treason!"

"Technically, it's a mutiny," Yuukan replied sarcastically.

Keimaru laughed as though he had just been subject to a hilarious joke, "If my little sister needs the help of her team to defeat me, then you have no chance. Not even Sukka Shiori can defeat me. I'm stronger than _everyone_ in this village! Do you honestly believe that just the four of you by yourselves could defeat me?"

Shiori stepped forward, "You've forgotten something, Keimaru-sama."

"Oh? And what have I forgotten Sukka-san?"

"That there is no one in this village loyal to you," Shiori blatantly explained, "So no one in this village has a problem with lending a hand to help overthrow you."

"What?" Keimaru hissed.

Shiori turned her gaze to the woods around them and smirked ever so slightly, "See for yourself."

Keimaru's glare turned all out deadly as he finally took notice of hidden chakra signatures all around him, slowly coming out of hiding.

"You…" He whispered in his rage, anger about to boil over.

Yuukan smiled triumphantly, "Bye-bye."

"It's over for you, Keimaru-nii-san," Hikariko said.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 1 : Get to Class!

_For Shinobi everything is about deception. From the moment that my older brother was exiled from the village and I assumed the title of Hikarigakure's sixth Keikage, I learned over the next twelve years of my life I would deceive more people than I would have cared for..._

_Especially..._

---

The trees in Hikarigakure were legendary.

Before the war that supposedly wiped out the Village of Hidden Light, people - shinobi and civilians alike - would come to visit, just to see them.

Why so much fuss over a tree though? Very simple.

Whereas normal trees had brown bark and green leaves - depending on the breed of tree and time of year, Hikarigakure had much more special trees. The tree hugged close together and numerous in number, were so large around the base that a full grown man could not wrap his arms around it. And while the trees had no leaves, its bark was a bright silvery blue that looked almost white. And at night, when the moon fell, and the stars came out, if it was just the right temperature, the trees would start to glow. And on the rare occasion, the trees would even sprout a few faint lavender blossoms that had their own glow. They rarely flourished.

You can just imagine how beautiful it would have been during the night.

But...

Hardly anyone came now. Everyone has been led to believe that this wondrous forest is haunted by the angry spirits of the shinobi who once inhabited the village.. Now if you had been the skeptical person, you would have instantly disregarded any such claim, but many of these poor fools who venture into the forest and simply disappear.

_Mei..._

Someone was there nonetheless.

---

Morning was Mei's favorite time of day. The air was crisp and clean, and it was chilly enough to keep cool during her run. It was also during this time of day that she could bear silent witness to the tree's fading brilliance as their lights distinguished for yet another day.

Mei paused, leaning up against a tree to steady herself as she caught her breath. She smiled, "Phew. This is the first time I've had to stop to catch my breath all morning. I'm getting better." She wiped the sweat from her brow and turned her gaze to the dark sky. If she squinted hard enough, she could count the number of stars that had yet to disappear.

_I should probably get going now,_ She sighed,_Don't want to be late._

---

Akimiyo Medatsu was a fairly simple boy. He was the oldest of three children born to the main house of the Akimiyo clan. There was his father, Akimiyo Toshida. His younger twin sister Shai and their youngest sister at the age of eight. Their mother had died some years before. Now, Medatsu was for all purposes a simple, _average_ shinobi with average skills aside from his family training. Aside from that, he was also a very simple boy with very simple hobbies. And one hobby was like so many other young boys. He liked to annoy his younger siblings.

"Come on, Shai! Spar with me for just five minutes!" Medatsu pleaded, "Not even five minutes!"

"No!" Shai countered in an irritated manner, continuing to wrap bandages along her arms and fist, "Go pester your buddy Shin or something."

"Why? Its much more fun to pester you!" Medatsu grinned.

Shai grit her teeth and picked up whatever object was closest - which just so happened to be her tea cup, full of hot tea, "Get out of my room!" She shouted and threw it at him.

Medatsu cried out in surprise and ducked out of the way. "Holy crap..." He muttered while walking down the hall. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Onee-chan's just no fun anymore."

---

Shiori was hardly different over the years since that battle before the Sacred Temple. She was a stern as ever and her aura and beauty had failed to diminish. She was like a portrait - constant and unchanging. A young girl, no older than the age of twelve walked three steps behind her.

"Reira..."

Reira fell into step with Shiori, "Yes, oka-sama?"

"Where's your sister?" It was more of a demand than an actual question.

Reira's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "_Her_?" She asked venomously, "Probably still in bed. Should I go wake her?"

Shiori made no attempt to appear like she had heard her daughter's reply. "I know that you will agree with me. You won't disappoint me today."

Reira stopped and bowed as her mother continued to walk into the foyer of their home, "Yes, Oka-sama."

---

Mei ran through the streets, carefully weaving through the slowly amassing people. Hikarigakure may have been small compared to others, but it still had its fair share of people.

"Morning!"

"Good Morning!"

"H-hey... Mei-san!"

Mei skidded to halt, almost tumbling over. She caught herself by holding onto a fruit stand. The person that had called out to her was one of her classmates, a small timid looking girl by the name of Himitsu.

Himitsu was a cute girl with deep crimson eyes that contrasted nicely with the pale skin of her face. She had brown hair twisted into two spiraled buns. She wore a white kimono with a pink trim collar. It ended mid-thigh and the shoulders were cut free from the collar making the sleeves hang limply. The kimono was held shut with a light pink obi and tied into a gigantic bow in the back. In the centre of the obi was Light's symbol. Her socks rose up to where the kimono cut off and the toes were cut out. Her shoes, unlike everyone else which were a violet-blue, were white.

"Himitsu-san," said Mei.

"A... Are you heading to the academy now?" Himitsu asked.

Mei nodded yes, "As a matter of fact, I am."

"Would it be alright if I joined you, then?" She asked.

Mei hesitated, shifting her feet slightly before smiling ever so slightly, "No. Not at all."

Himitsu put on a meek grin as the continued towards the end of the street, "Are you nervous as well."

Mei smiled, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "Yeah, maybe a little bit... Maybe a lot."

---

Reira walked out of her room, carefully closing the door behind her, making sure it locked securely before walking away. She started adjusting her hair in it's twist-tie bun accordingly as she passed an open door. She hesitated. Looking through the crack, she glared at the figure sprawled out across the futon in the middle of the room. Her longish blonde hair played out across the pillow and her tanned skin glowed slightly under the sun's rays that poured in through the window. She was snoring rather loudly with her mouth hanging open and she was drooling in a very un-lady-like manner.

"_Chh_," Reira scoffed, angrily muttering, "Idiot!" before walking away once again.

---

"Shaai... Come oon..." Medatsu whined, trailing after his little sister, "Five minutes, it's all I'm asking!"

"No way!" She replied irritated, "And stop begging! You sound like a homeless puppy. Have more dignity than that!"

"If the shoe fits," Medatsu grinned impishly.

"Shai scowled, "I'm going to school now."

"Five min-" Medatsu began.

"No!" Shai threw a shoe at him, "Imbecile! Leave me alone!"

Medatsu easily dodged it. Smiling at Shai, he said, "Why? It's so much more fun to bug you."

"Argh!" Shai cried out angrily.

---

Shin sat nervously at the back of the class, fidgeting nervously. His foot tapping consistent with the clicking of his finger on the surface of the desk. Almost time, almost time, _almost time!_ He thought to himself, looking anxiously at the clock, "Any second now..."

He gasped when the door to the classroom suddenly slid open and admitted two students. Mei and Himitsu walked in as Shin shot up from his seat - knocking it to the ground in the process - grinning like a kid at Christmas.

"Mei-san! Himitsu-san! I, uh, saved a- I mean, some seats for you!" He gestured nervously at the two empty seats next to his own, "Would you like to perhaps - I mean, you don't have to, but maybe you would like to... uh maybe...sit..." He stopped when he noticed that both Mei and Himitsu passed him and were sitting down near the front of the class. Shin flopped down dejectedly, expecting his chair to be there. Of course, he hadn't noticed earlier when he knocked over his chair so naturally he fell onto the floor. "Damn it..." He moaned.

He righted his chair and glanced down at Himitsu. His head dropped down onto the desk with a loud thump, "Damn it!"

"Whoa, Shin. What's up with you?" Medatsu asked as he sat down in one of the empty seats next to Shin.

Shin groaned, "That seat was meant for Himitsu-san..."

"What was that?" Medatsu cupped his ear and leaned towards Shin. The Reira slid the door open and started down the steps toward her seat.

"Hey Reira-sama. Where's Rikku?" Medatsu asked.

"Still asleep," Reira stopped but she didn't turn to look at Medatsu, "where else would that failure be?"

"What? Why don't you ever wake her up?"

"It's not my fault that she can't wake up on time," She continued to stalk down the stairs past the two boys.

Shin watched as Reira walked right down the front and sat down in the center, "Those two... are they really sisters?" Shin mumbled.

---

"Why doesn't anybody ever wake me up?!" Rikku jumped across the rooftops towards the academy building. Once she caught sight of the roof of said building, she decided to run the rest of the way. Jumping from he rooftops, she landed in the street - starling a few people.

"Hey, watch it!" cried a few angry voices.

"Sorry! Look out! Out of the way!" Rikku dodged several people, carts, cats and dogs. As she tripped over another person, she turned and apologized, "I'm sorry-"

Rikku turned around too late and bumped into someone much larger than herself. She didn't see much other than the fact that the person wore the village's jounin uniform before she was off again, running down the street towards the academy.

The man shook his head and continued in the direction he had started in, "Snot-nosed kids."

---

"Everyone, please take your seats. I really don't want to have to explain this more than once. If you don't hear me, it's your own fault," The teacher explained, "Now-"

The door slid open abruptly, cutting off the teacher's speech as Rikku came sliding in, panting heavily.

"Safe!" She shouted, falling over on her backside. Some students laughed while others just rolled their eyes.

"You're late, again, Sukka-san," The teacher smirked down at Rikku, trying to ignore the annoying tick at her eyebrow, "Please, take your seat."

Rikku sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt off her back, slowly trekking up the stairs towards an empty seat near the back. The teacher cleared her throat, "as I was saying. This is a very important day for all of you. Today is the day that decides if you become a genin and stay here for yet another year."

"_Graduation exam._"


	3. Chapter 2 : The Exam Begins!

"On the outskirts of the village, there is an underground labyrinth. There are two levels. The first level is above ground as you will clearly see. It is two kilometers on each side, making a grand total of 8km. The second level is only half a kilometer on each side, making it 2km in all. This is the location of the graduation exam." 

"Inside the labyrinth are three scrolls that you are required to collect if you wish to pass. Two are one level, and the third is on the next. The labyrinth will be filled with different obstacles that will slow you down. You must use your skills to avoid these. But even more important than this is that you are to complete this test you will be sent into the labyrinth in pairs. If you fail to collect all three scrolls and exit without your teammate, you will be disqualified and ultimately fail," Moroko-sensei explained.

Medatsu seemed intrigued, _Teams huh? Wonder just who I'll be paired with._

_Sounds like fun I guess..._ Rikku thought.

_Just great, some idiot to slow me down,_ Reira thought, "Whatever."

_Teams? What the hell for?_ Shai raised an eyebrow.

Shin clapped his hands in front of him in prayer, _Ooooh! I hope I get to be with Himitsu-san!_

"Now, please pay close attention," Moroko-sensei asked, expressing her words with irritation.

Mei unconsciously crossed her fingers, _I hope I don't hold anybody back!_ She sat patiently waiting for her name to be called.

"Ari and Hiru."

"What?!" Called a disgruntled male voice from the back, "I get stuck with the shrimp!?"

"What's the hell is that supposed to mean? You leech!" replied an angry female childlike voice.

Some chuckled at the exchange.

Moroko-sensei forced a grin, "Moving on."

"Hyoukai Mei... and Sukka-"

Mei looked up suddenly in time with both Reira, Rikku and Shin. Mei looked hopeful for a moment, but everything crashed down on her once she heard just who she was partnered with:

"-Rikku."

There were small snorts and chuckles throughout the classroom, muttering things like, "Poor Mei," and, "At least it wasn't me," and even, "I'm glad it wasn't me with Rikku!" Everyone may have felt sorry for Mei, but the pity was outweighed by the relief that none of them were paired with the Sukka-girl-otherwise-known-as-Reira's-sister.

Mei didn't know how she should have been feeling at the moment. She wanted so badly to pass the exam and become a genin and she _really_ didn't want to hurt Rikku's feelings. But...

Rikku wasn't exactly known for being an excellent student like her sister was. Mei bit her lip, feeling a contemptible lump form in her throat. She clenched her fists in her lap as Himitsu looked on pathetically, "Mei-san..."

Rikku looked back at Mei from the corner of her eye, watching as Mei seemed on the verge of breaking down. She turned back, and couldn't help but feel like she wasn't good enough. Then again, it should have been natural for her to feel that way by now.

Reira smirked, _ Poor, poor Mei. It's too bad someone like her had to be paired with _her_. But, it had to be someone, didn't it?_

"Usagi Himitsu."

Himitsu sharply turned to the front of the class.

"Akimiyo Shai."

"Hmm..." Shai said amusingly, resting her chin on her fist, "With the little rabbit, am I?"

Himitsu briefly glanced back at Shai - who was sitting two seats back and over one. Shai looked back with a dull expression. She smiled lazily and winked at Himitsu. Himitsu quickly turned back, embarrassed that she had been caught.

Shin sunk back into his seat, "At this rate, I'll _never_ get Himitsu-san to notice me..."

Medatsu glanced over at Shin intriguingly, "You've sure got it bad, huh?"

"Sukka Shin and Akimiyo Medatsu."

Shin only sunk further into his seat with a pained groan. Medatsu stared at Shin affronted, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Reira smiled smugly at all of her classmates' misfortune. No doubt they were not happy right now with their particular pairings. "Sukka Reira."

Reira cracked an eye open.

"Kiban."

Reira could have fallen out of her chair after that. Of all people... it had to be _him_!!

She looked over at her said partner. He was on the other side of the class room, on the end of the row. He sat leisurely with his feet propped up on the desk and his hands resting behind his head casually. He turned his piercing yellowish gaze at Reira and smirked. He raised a hand and waved at her, "Be seein' ya, toots," He leered.

Reira grit her teeth angrily at him and flexed her fingers, "I'll kill him."

* * *

"From here, you will join teams from the other classes," Moroko-sensei explained, having finished reading the teams off, "And remember! If you enter as a team, you _exit_ as a team! I cannot stress that enough."

Some students groaned in protest.

"Oh..." Moroko-sensei smiled then, like she had just found her trump card, "There is just one more thing."

Mei looked astonished, _Another rule?_

Shai stood up angrily from her seat, slamming her hands on the desk, "Hold it, sensei! What the hell is this? Another rule?!"

Moroko-sensei glared at Shai, "Yes. And if you don't sit down, Akimiyo-san, you won't find out what it is. And it is very important. So _SIT_!"

Shai plopped back down in her seat angrily, muttering profanity under her breath, "So... what's this great rule?" Moroko-sensei smiled again, this time, it sent shivers through nearly all the students. Shai glared, "Well?"

"There is a time limit."

* * *

Rikku sulked behind the mass of students gathered outside the chain link fence that surrounded the labyrinth. Every fifty feet or so, was a large padlocked gate, with a number above it. From where she stood however, she could make out several of the academy's teachers at the front, and behind them was a stand of some kind, were three other teachers sat with some kind of ballot box in front of each of them.

She couldn't believe it, there was only four and half hours to complete the test. How was that possible? A maze that was almost two kilometers on each side, had two levels, and was full of traps and other obstacles to slow them down. And on top of that, they had to collect three scrolls to pass. They couldn't miss one!

Rikku fought the urge to curl up and die. Only four hours. She needed that much time just to complete a written test. She was so screwed! Her face fell into a wretched expression.

She sighed, and looked over at Mei, who stood a few feet away from her. Mei looked anxious, frequently clenching her hands together. Rikku's mood joined her face on the ground.

_I thought as much..._ She turned away from Mei, _She doesn't want me as her teammate. _ Rikku then glanced over at her sister who at that exact moment turned and met Rikku's eyes. Rikku immediately flushed and turned away. Reira raised a brow for a moment and turned back.

Mei looked over in time to notice the exchange.

"Um... Rikku-san?" Mei walked over and reached out and tapped the blonde on the shoulder. However, Rikku had not expected the sudden contact, so she cried out suddenly and flopped over. Mei was reminded of the very reason she was upset that Rikku was her partner. "Um... Are you alright?"

Rikku shot up suddenly, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. She laughed nervously, "Perfectly fine! I'm great! Never been better, actually!"

Mei smiled weakly, though inside, she was still apprehensive, and not only because of the test. She would never say this out loud, but...

She would have taken any of her classmates over Rikku.

* * *

Himitsu momentarily looked over her shoulder for Mei, but couldn't see her through the crowd, or even if she stood on her tippy-toes.

Shai watched Himitsu's feeble attempt to make herself taller and smirked, "Hey, you know you should be listening right?" She told Himitsu, "Because I'm not really in the mood to repeat everything for you, you know."

"Oh," Himitsu flattened her feet again and turned back and stood beside Shai, "Sorry."

"Ari, you brat, get back here with that!"

"As if, jerk!"

Two students ran past Shai and back into the group of students. Shai rolled her eyes after Himitsu giggled.

* * *

Medatsu laughed as Ari pushed by Shin, unbalancing him enough that as Hiru ran past him, it knocked the moping boy right off his feet and onto the ground.

Shin made a meager attempt to stand up, but seemed to decide that it just wasn't any use, so he sat there and pouted. Medatsu shook his head, "You've sure got a face. Come on, stop it. You're hurting my feelings."

"Sorry..." Shin sighed.

"_Alright everybody_! _Pay close attention_!" yelled one of the teachers, "Before you enter the labyrinth, you and your teammate have to come up here to receive number for the ballot box. This number will tell you what gate you will be entering. _Remember_! Once you are inside, you must collect all three scrolls as a _team_! And if you don't," The teacher smirked, "You'll likely die."

Rikku audibly gulped while Mei went on clenching and unclenching her hands in front of her.

Himitsu fought the urge to shiver while Shai just looked totally unimpressed.

Medatsu grinned nervously, "They really lay it on, huh?" Shin sunk even lower to the ground.

Reira turned away in a blasé manner, "Whatever."

Kiban smirked, "Well I can do that. So, what do you say, bab-"

Reira turned on him aggressively and held up her fist, "Call me 'babe' and I'll shove my fist right through your ribcage. Got it?" She growled, effectively shutting Kiban up- for the time being.

* * *

"So..." Shin asked, "What number did we get?"

Medatsu looked at the slip of paper with their number printed on it in big, navy lettering.

"Sixteen."

* * *

"Which one did we get? Huh? Which one?" Rikku asked anxiously.

Mei kept the number folded up, her hands tightly holding it closed, obscuring the number hidden within. Her eyes were still squeezed shut when she quickly opened the slip.

"It's three," Rikku said. Mei cracked a single eye open.

"Three?"

"Three."

* * *

Shai all but stomped towards her gate with Himitsu trailing behind her with a nervous look. "So, um, Akimiyo-san? What number did you draw?"

"Eighty-seven," Shai replied, somewhat aggravatingly before muttering angrily, "Come on. Argh... why the _hell_ is our gate way on the other side?"

---

"Moroko-san," A teacher called over to Moroko and tapped his watch, "It's almost time."

* * *

Moroko-sensei nodded, "Alright! Everybody get ready! On my mark!"

* * *

Students all around the chain link fence watched as their supervisors unlocked their gates and removed the paddocks.

* * *

"Ready?"

* * *

Mei stood waiting, while Rikku fidgeted, bouncing on each foot anxiously.

* * *

Medatsu pulled Shin off the ground and forced him to stand up.

* * *

Shai adjusted her long ponytail while Himitsu clasped her hands together nervously.

* * *

Reira kept her neutral face even as Kiban whooped out loud.

* * *

Moroko watched as the minute hand finally touched it's mark. She then threw a kunai high into the air, an explosive note attached to it. It went off and the explosion was heard by all the students.

"GO!"

* * *

Reira and Kiban rushed into action, pushing the gate open and running for their door. Reira watched as Kiban passed her, giving her thumbs up before he sped off ahead of her.

* * *

Medatsu grabbed onto Shin's collar as he ran in. Shin protested, but Medatsu just laughed and brushed him off.

* * *

Himitsu somewhat jogged in as Shai walked haughtily behind her. Himitsu hesitated momentarily, looking back at Shai. Shai just waved her off and walked past her. "Come on, Himitsu."

"Oh, right!"

* * *

Rikku jumped and pushed open the gate as both she and Mei ran as quickly as possible to their door.

"Mei-san, do your best!" Rikku smiled, "I'll try really hard, I promise!" _I'll try hard not to disappoint you!_

For some reason or another, Mei felt some of her anxiety lift away. She smiled in return, "I will too."

* * *

Somehow... Mei had expected something like this.

The corridors were long and dark, lit by a single candle positioned on the walls every few feet apart, casting it's faint amber light into the gloom. There were long halls and sharp corners, stair cases and even more deadends. It was only too soon that MEi noticed that it was completly quiet.

Too quiet.

_This isn't right_, Mei thought, _It's been ten minutes. Sensei said that there would traps and obstacles that would get in our way and slow us down... There hasn't been any conflict so far._

Mei's hand reached for her kunai pouch.

* * *

Shai tapped her chin curiously, "Hmm..."

Himitsu looked at Shai, "Something wrong, Akimiyo-san?"

Shai shook her head, "Not really. Just wondering how we're supposed to navigate through here. I mean, it'd be really easy to get lost in here, wouldn't it?"

Himitsu nodded in agreement, "So what should we do?"

Shai thought about it, "Well, we could mark our way with a kunai..." She emphasied her point by pulling out a kunai-knife from her pouch, "Or... there's that thing that you do..."

"What?"

"I mean, you do know how to, right?"

Himitsu stared at Shai.

* * *

"Alright dude, pull yourself together. This is pathetic," Medatsu sighed at Shin. Shin had yet to shrug off his despressive attitude, "There will be other chances to be with Himitsu. But for the time being, you're stuck with me. And to be honest, I'm sure I'm gonna need you alert _really_ soon."

Shin looked up at Medatsu and forced himself to stand straight, "Sure, alright."

"That's better," Medatsu grinned, "Alright then. Lets go find those scrolls."

"Uh, Medatsu..." Shin started.

"Yeah what?"

"Where, exactly are we?"

Medatsu stopped and looked around. They had come to a dead end. "Hehe, oh man," Medatsu said, "This isn't good."

* * *

Shai stood leaning up against the wall, trying to ignore the urge to tap her foot impatiently. She had no idea which way to go. She looked over at Himitsu who was playing witht he hem of her skirt, her eyebrows furrowed anxiously and biting her lip nervously. Shai scowled, _This kid...No backbone._

Shai pushed herself off the wall, "Well.. when all else fails..."

Shai stomped her foot on the ground, the sound boucning off the walls and echoing down the hallway. Himitsu stared incredously as Shai repeated the action with her other foot. Shai winced and made a sour face, gently shaking the stinging pain out of her right foot.

"We go this way," Shai grabbed Himitsu's arm and began dragging her down the corridor.

They made their way down the corridor for several feet until it turned sharply and went on for a yard or so before they came across a small stair case that led to another level- but not to the second floor. The lath that confronted Shai and Himitsu now was a three way crossing. The corridor to the right led on until it faded into darkness, the one in front of them was a short corridor that started ahead until it turned left and ended in a deadend. and the path to their right was just like the one to their left. It went on until it faded into darkness. Shai sighed and repeated her previous actions, stamping her feet and choosing their route depending on how much pain she felt in her feet. So they took the left corridor and continued straight down for another yard or two taking the occasional foot-stamp and turn before they were greeted by the sight of a large foyer filled with rows and rows of tall columns.

"We must be in the centre now," Himitsu said, "From here, we should be able to to find our way to the Northeastern part of the labyrinth."

Shai turned to her, "You're sure?"

Himitsu kicked the ground, "Well, I guess so."

* * *

Reira kicked a number of stary shuriken away from her path, dropping several kunai on the ground. Sh elooked around the corridor, clearly unamused. There were dozens of shuriken, kunai and a mass of other weapons lay on the ground and stabbed into the walls around them.

Kiban stood up, carefully pulling a shuriken out of his bicep, "That'll be a great scar."

"_Chi_," Reira walked past him, kicking some stray kunai out of her way, "You're unbelievible."

Kiban smirked, falling into step behind Reira, "Whatever, toots."

Reira swore that the moment she emerged at the end, she was going to break every single bone in Kiban's legs.

* * *

Shai looked over her shoulder wairily at Himitsu, "You know, something doesn't feel right. Nothing has so far gotten in our way."

Himitsu frowned, "Yeah." They hadn't had an interferance so far, and it was making her really worried. She knew that they hadn't encountered anything so far, but what about after that? How bad would it be? How long would their luck hold out?

Himitsu was so lost in thought that she didn't see Shai stop until she bumbed into her. Shai cursed and glared at Himitsu before turned her gaze back ahead of them. "Look there," She whispered.

Himitsu tensed as she saw Shai's hand reaching for a shuriken from her holster, "I think...There's someone ahead of us..."

Himitsu gasped and turned the direction that Shai directed her agression towards.

For a moment, Himitsu saw nothing, but as she gazed into the shadows she saw it. It was only brief,but a shadows of a figure passed through the shadows of the columns. Himitsu reached for her kunai pouch and looked over at Shai, who only nodded.

"Get ready..."

Both girls readied themselves. Shia pulling out her shuriken and crossing her across her- ready to throw it at anytime. Himitsu pulled out a kunai and held it tightly in both hands, gripping tightly until her knuckles were white.

Suddenly...

Himitsu was struck with a cold feeling, a small, cold tingle rippled and grew as it ran up her spine. It throbbed and tingled all over all over her body and made her heart pound. She gasped for breath and shut her eyes tightly.

_Rikku poked her head around a corner, signalling Mei to follow. Mei nodded, making sure to keep her hand on her kunai pouch at all times. Rikku stepped around first, then Mei. Her eyes roamed around wildly looking for anything out of place. She opened her mouth to speak when suddenly, Rikku stumbled. She looked down, surprised to see that her foot had sunk into the ground. She had stepped on a trigger of some kind._

_Mei's eyes widened in fear. She looked up, only to see a hail of shuriken rain down upon them._

Himitsu's eyes shot open in surprise, "Oh god..."


End file.
